Thursday, October 15, 2009

Peru: Day 2 from Lima to Cusco to Urubamba

We had an early start this morning. Departing our Miraflores hotel at 4:30 a.m., we were well on time for our 7:00 flight from Lima to Cusco.

This is not long after takoff, looking SW toward the Pacific Coast.Our first birding stop east of Cusco at Laguna Huacarpay. Here we had Wren-like Rushbird and Many-colored Rush-Tyrant. Easy names to get wrong by accident. I think I had a Tyrant-Like Head-Rush after seeing them.We had much better views of Plumbeous Rail than this.Slate-colored Coot from the same spot.Wildflowers in the tundra-like vegetation on the lake shore.Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant in the short grass along the road.This Bearded Mountaineer, a fabulous endemic hummingbird, was in a weedy row of Tree Tabacco. The iridescent green gorget is tipped in violet. We had a picnic lunch in the shade of some eucalyptus nearby.Then another fantastic hummingbird, the Giant Hummingbird. Largest in the world.Late in the afternoon we arrived at this gorgeous hotel near Urubamba, Valle Sagrado Lodge.

About Me

Senior Leader forWINGS, Inc., leading birding and natural history tours to the western United States, Jamaica, and all throughout Latin America, specializing in Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia.